LOCATION CHELSEA IA+IL IN MI MN WIEstablished Series
TAXONOMIC CLASS: Mixed, mesic Lamellic Udipsamments
TYPICAL PEDON: Chelsea loamy fine sand, on a convex slope of about 7 percent, in a wooded area, at an elevation of about 321 meters above sea level.
A1--0 to 3 centimeters; very dark gray (10YR 3/1) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; weak fine granular structure; very friable; much decomposed leaf litter; many fine roots; slightly acid; abrupt smooth boundary.
A2--3 to 10 centimeters; very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) loamy fine sand, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) dry; single grain; loose; moderately acid; clear smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 5 to 15 centimeters.)
E1--10 to 18 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) and very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) fine sand, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; single grain; loose; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
E2--18 to 38 centimeters; brown (10YR 4/3) fine sand, pale brown (10YR 6/3) dry; single grain; loose; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary.
E3--38 to 91 centimeters; yellowish brown (10YR 5/4) fine sand; single grain; loose; some sand grains are dark brown; strongly acid; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the E horizon is 50 to 100 centimeters.)
E and Bt--91 to 178 centimeters; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) fine sand (E); single grain; loose; 1 to 5 centimeters thick brown (7.5YR 4/4) sandy loam lamellae at 109, 125, 135, 150, and 170 centimeters (Bt); strongly acid.
TYPE LOCATION: Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 104-Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies, Linn County, Iowa subset; about 2 miles north of Central City; located about 280 feet north and 2,560 feet west of southeast corner of section 27 T. 86 N., R. 6 W.; USGS Central City topographic quadrangle; lat. 42 degrees 13 minutes 29 seconds N. and long. 91 degrees 31 minutes 44 seconds W., NAD 83.
RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Depth to the uppermost lamellae--69 to 117 centimeters
Clay content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--2 to 10 percent
Sand content of the particle-size control section (weighted average)--80 to 95 percent, more than 50 percent fine sand
A or Ap horizon:
Hue--10YR
Value--3 or 4
Chroma--1 to 4
Texture--loamy sand, loamy fine sand or fine sand
Clay content--2 to 10 percent
Sand content--75 to 95 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral
Bw horizon (when present):
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content--2 to 10 percent
Sand content--80 to 95 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to neutral
E horizon:
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--2 to 6
Texture--fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content--2 to 8 percent
Sand content--80 to 95 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
E and Bt horizon (E portion):
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--4 to 6
Chroma--4 to 6
Texture--fine sand or loamy fine sand
Clay content--2 to 8 percent
Sand content--80 to 95 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
E and Bt horizon (Bt portion):
Hue--7.5YR or 10YR
Value--3 to 5
Chroma--3 to 6
Texture--sandy loam, loamy sand, fine sandy loam, loamy fine sand or fine sand
Clay content--3 to 15 percent
Sand content--80 to 95 percent
Reaction--strongly acid to slightly acid
Thickness of lamellae--0.75 to 5 centimeters with total thickness less than 15 centimeters in the series control section
COMPETING SERIES: These are the
Coloma,
Colonie,
Grinter (T),
Lakin, and
Millrock series.
Coloma--average less than 50 percent fine sand in the particle-size control section
Colonie--contain fewer lamellae that tend to be thinner (see remarks)
Grinteraverage less than 50 percent fine sand in the particle size control section
Lakin--have lamellae within a depth of 66 centimeters
Millrock--have buried horizons
GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material--eolian sand or sand from other sources reworked by wind
Landform--convex summits of interfluves, side slopes, and crests of escarpments, commonly along the eastern side of stream valleys; dunes on valley trains along major glacial outlet rivers
Slope--0 to 45 percent
Elevation--100 to 470 meters above sea level
Mean annual air temperature--5 to 14 degrees C
Mean annual precipitation--585 to 1,195 millimeters
Frost-free period--105 to 225 days
GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the
Clinton,
Fayette, and
Lamont soils.
Clinton--are in landscape positions similar to those of the Chelsea soils and have a clay content that averages 36 to 42 percent in the particle-size control section
Fayette--are in landscape positions similar to those of the Chelsea soils and have a clay content that averages 24 to 32 percent in the particle-size control section
Lamont--are in landscape positions similar to those of the Chelsea soils and have a clay content that averages 10 to 15 percent in the particle-size control section
DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage class--excessively drained-saturation does not occur within a depth of 1.8 meters in normal years
Saturated hydraulic conductivity--10.00 to 705.00 micrometers per second
Surface runoff potential--negligible to medium
USE AND VEGETATION:
Most of the nearly level to strongly sloping areas are cultivated. The principal crops are corn, soybeans, hay, or pasture. Steeper slopes are wooded or pastured. The native vegetation is oak-hickory forest.
DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT:
Physiographic Division--Interior Plains
Physiographic Province--Central Lowland
Physiographic sections--Eastern lake section, Western lake section, Wisconsin driftless section, Dissected till plains, Till plains
MLRAs--Northern Michigan and Wisconsin Sandy Drift (94A),
Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Drift Plain (95B),
Southwestern Michigan Fruit and Truck Crop Belt (97),
Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana Drift Plain (98),
Erie-Huron Lake Plain (99),
Central Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (103),
Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Till Prairies (104),
Northern Mississippi Valley Loess Hills (105),
Illinois and Iowa Deep Loess and Drift (108),
Iowa and Missouri Heavy Till Plain (109),
Northern Illinois and Indiana Heavy Till Plain (110),
Indiana and Ohio Till Plain (111),
Southern Illinois and Indiana Thin Loess and Till Plain (114), and
Central Mississippi Valley Wooded Slopes (115)
LRRs K, L, and M; central and eastern Iowa, Wisconsin, southeastern Minnesota, south central Michigan, Illinois, and northern Indiana
Extent--large
MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Indianapolis, Indiana
SERIES ESTABLISHED: Tama County, Iowa, 1938
REMARKS:
Particle-size control section--the zone from a depth of 25 to 100 centimeters (E2, E3, and E and Bt horizons);
series control section--the zone from the surface to a depth of 178 centimeters (A1, A2, E1, E2, E3, and E and Bt horizons).
Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon include:
ochric epipedon--the zone from the surface to a depth of 91 centimeters (A1, A2, E1, E2, and E3 horizons);
albic horizon--the zone from a depth of 10 to 38 centimeters (E1 and E2 horizons);
udic moisture regime.
Lamellic subgroup--lamellae with total thickness of less than 15 centimeters in the series control section (E and Bt horizon)
Differentia between Colonie soils and the Chelsea soils need further study.
Taxonomy version--Keys to Soil Taxonomy, tenth edition, 2006.